Zooming Yesteryears
�Ethiopian troops cannot defend you� - Islamist leader tells Somali president
Friday, July 21, 2006

Shaykh Sharif Shaykh Ahmad, the chairman of the executive council of the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC), yesterday said in a speech to 135 officers, who had defected from the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia (TFG), that Ethiopian troops had entered Somalia and arrived in Baydhabo town.

�We knew that they have been in Somalia, but now they have declared that they will be defending the TFG,� said Shaykh Sharif, adding that the aim of the Ethiopian troops was to destroy Somalia. However, he warned Ethiopia that it will bear full responsibility of its terrible acts.

Shaykh Sharif also said there were ongoing war mobilization efforts evidenced by the presence of �Husayn Aydid (TFG interior minister) and Abdi Qeybdid (defeated warlord) in Gaalkacyo (Puntland-controlled central region).�. He said the two were there to rekindle fresh wars, problems and destruction in Somalia.

�I urge people of Puntland to confront (President) Abdullahi Yusuf`s plans to revive the 1990 civil war (between the Hawiye clan of Mogadishu against the Darood clan of President Yusuf) �No one is challenging Abdullahi Yusuf`s presidency. And I am telling him to spare his people and work on how to bring Somalis together. You should know that Ethiopian troops cannot defend you,� said Sharif.

Shaykh Sharif said, for their part, they were still ready for talks and to work for the interest of the Somali people.

Text of report by Somali web site garoweonline.com on 20 July

� Compiled and distributed by NTIS, US Dept. of Commerce. All rights reserved.

Shaykh Sharif`s Eid-l-fitr Deceptive Verbal Habits
Somali Islamist leader calls for removal of Ethiopia`s `corrupt` government
Radio HornAfrik
Monday, October 23, 2006

(Reporter) more than 15,000 people are present today at the Grand Alliance Mosque (in Mogadishu), all Muslims. It is the first time (in 16 years) that they are conducting prayers in this mosque. Joy and a great deal of happiness could be seen in the way people were dressed for the occasion.

Inside and outside the mosque`s compound are filled with elegant people, with more than 80 battle wagons keeping guard. Other forces of the Islamic courts are also heavily present in the vicinity of the mosque, which still bears signs of the destruction of the civil war.

Approaching the microphone now is the chairman of the Somali Islamic Courts Council (SICC), Shaykh Sharif Shaykh Ahmad (prolonged public chants of Allah Akbar - God is Great).

Islamists` achievements

(Sharif) Praise be Allah and blessings be upon his prophet. (Greets the crowd in Arabic and repeats Allah Akbar several times). Praise be to Allah who has endowed us with uncountable bounties which includes the bounty of being Muslims and the chain of victories which Allah has given to us.

We are telling the Somali people and the Muslims worldwide, may Allah accept our and your good deeds (of fasting Ramadan; words in Arabic). We wish you happy Id-(al-Fitr). We congratulate the Somali people wherever they are on this Id day of the Ramadan, during which Allah has improved our situation, better than the one we had been in before. We thank Allah for making it possible for us to gathered here today for the Id without any fear.

The reason why we were being troubled was not because we are criminals, but because of being Muslims and for using only our religion - that was why we were being disturbed. When this Muslim people applied a little bit of effort, Allah granted them his victory - thanks to Allah.

Allah has lifted the oppression that had been on the Somali people. Allah has also removed the numerous (militia) check-points that you are all aware had littered in this city and the surrounding cities - Allah has lifted them from us, thanks be to God. And the enemies, whenever victories are marked, they start a fresh war.

Meles Zenawi`s government

You are all aware, the devilish men when they left this city, efforts were being made to regroup them back to make them operational again. The leader of those efforts is the man known as Meles Zenawi (Ethiopian prime minister).

I want to tell you that the ongoing hatred and enmity has nothing to do with the Ethiopian people. This enmity and trouble is being engineered by few people, headed by Meles Zenawi. To prove that, people living in Ethiopia are fed up with that government (Zenawi`s government). The injustice and problems they are inflicting, as well as the lack of development, in his country is a major problem there.

That country (Ethiopia), is ruled by a few group which trades on the blood of the Ethiopian people as well as on Somalia. It informs the whole world that there is a danger in Somalia and that, for that danger to be controlled, it needs to proved at enormous cost. The young boys (in the Ethiopian army) who are being killed are not Meles` children but are the sons of the millions of people entering his country whom Meles was using for his own interests, without doing anything useful for Ethiopia as a country.

We are telling him (Meles), Somalia is free country; Somalia is a Muslim country; and Meles cannot take away Somali freedom and he cannot destroy the Islam of Somalia. We are telling him you cannot succeed in that issue; just stop it (crowd bursts into Allah Akbar).

We are telling Zenawi: does your religion not teach to refrain from interfering into the affairs of your Muslim neighbour country? If it does not teach you, what about the good life and hospitality that you were accorded by Somalis in their country, did that not teach you something? I want to ask Meles Zenawi: what kind of logic are you using? You have reached where you are (in leadership) through the tax collected from the poor Somali women trading in firewood; that is how you managed to reach there. But, today you want to destroy Somalia; this will never be (crowd burst into chants of Allah Akbar).

We are telling the Ethiopian people, Somali does not hold any kind of enmity against them. We are neighbours, we are brothers/sisters, they are 75 per cent Muslim; we would like them to achieve progress, obtain peace and justice - that is what we wish for them. Therefore, we request them to understand this position with us and help us in that because they are our brothers. Let us confront this corrupt, malignant and idiot regime that is waging war on Somalia.

Somalis urged to stop collaborating with Meles

Having said that, those Somalis who are collaborating with (Meles), while I am very sorry about it, I am telling them to keep away from him. Nothing Meles is doing will bring you or your country any good. Someone who wants to capture your country, what kind of benefits does he hold for you? A person destroying your country, killing your people and religion, what is he doing for you? Nothing at all.

What you (pro-Ethiopian Somalis) are complaining of, could be resolved through dialogue; we all are Somalis, we share this country, we are brothers. We are telling them to come back; because it is not for the interests of Somalia, neither for your interests nor for Islam. It is a dishonour for you to go to Ethiopia for the sake of fighting the sovereignty of Somalia and you will never rule this country if that is your (word indistinct).

Having said that, for sure, a great deal of change has taken place in Somalia. Following that change, many in the world have started complaining. That shows that for the 16 years of problems the world was happy with what was going on in Somalia (Radio presenter interrupts, says time for news.)

(Description of Source: Mogadishu Radio HornAfrik in Somali -- Independent radio and television broadcast station; Internet: http://www.hornafrik.com)

� Compiled and distributed by NTIS, US Dept. of Commerce. All rights reserved.

Zooming Today
Somalia president appeals for help
July 05, 2010

President Sharif told IGAD leaders: �Somalia is in the hands of Al-Qaeda and extremist groups. The whole issue needs urgent treatment,�

Somali President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed pleaded for help Monday at a regional summit, as an Al Qaeda-inspired insurgency closed in on his Mogadishu palace.

�Somalia is in the hands of Al-Qaeda and extremist groups. The whole issue needs urgent treatment,� he told leaders from the six-nation Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) in Addis Ababa.

�I would like to tell you that Somalia is going through its most dangerous phase in recent times and we are asking for intensified efforts in order to set up an effective military strategy,� he added.

IGAD leaders met in the Ethiopian capital for emergency talks in the wake of intensified clashes in Mogadishu pitting Islamist insurgents against Somali government troops backed by African Union forces.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, whose troops pulled out of Somalia in early 2009 after an ill-fated two-year intervention, called for more regional cooperation to resolve the crisis.

�The recent security situation does not augur well. This, coupled with the approaching end of the transitional period, calls for more serious work within the existing time frame,� he said in reference to the Somali transitional government`s mandate which expires next year.

�In this regard, the Somalis, IGAD, the AU and other stakeholders have to play their respective roles in a proactive manner and help reverse the trend that isn`t encouraging,� Meles added.

Sharif urged the international community to honour pledges to provide financial and military support, training of government forces and provide more help for the country`s refugees.

The hardline Islamist Shebab control most of the country and have been locked in a military see-saw with the Western-backed government for months in the capital Mogadishu.

Around 40 people, mostly civilians were killed in heavy clashes in the capital last week between the Islamist rebels and the AU-backed government forces.

� Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2010 All reproduction and presentation rights reserved.

Ethiopian premier in talks with Somali president
ENA Online
Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Meles said Ethiopia will exert efforts to implement decision of the IGAD countries except deploying troops to Somalia.

Addis Ababa, 6 July: Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said Ethiopia is committed to implement decision made by member countries of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) to maintain peace in Somalia.

The premier here on Tuesday (6 July) held talks with Shaykh Sharif Shaykh Ahmad of the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) of Somalia. The president took part in the meeting of leaders of IGAD countries.

Meles on the occasion said Ethiopia will exert efforts to implement decision of the IGAD countries except deploying troops to that country.

The president on his part lauded Ethiopia`s efforts to maintain peace in Somalia. He also requested Ethiopia to strengthen its ongoing support in coordinating countries providing support to Somalia and deploying security forces to that country.

(Description of Source: Addis Ababa ENA Online in English -- Website of the state-controlled Ethiopian News Agency; URL: http://www.ena.gov.et)

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